$5M-$10M demanded for ICRC workers' release - MILF

MANILA, Philippines - A ransom of between $5 million and $10 million has been demanded for the release of three workers of the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) claimed Sunday. The MILF said on its Web site that its men in Sulu are now verifying the supposed ransom demand. MILF deputy spokesman Khaled Musa said the government, despite its claims to a no-ransom policy, has no option but to negotiate on the basis of the interest of kidnappers, which he said is money. "The government is in a bind: It wants to unleash its military to run after the kidnappers but at the same it does not want to put the victims' life at jeopardy; it strictly maintains 'no ransom policy' but knows also that the kidnappers want nothing except money. The bottom line of every kidnapping is money. Rarely kidnapping is done on purely political reason," Musa was quoted on the article. Abu Sayyaf members led by Palad Al-Badir abducted in Sulu last January 15 Swiss Andreas Notter; Italian Eugenio Vagni; and Filipino Jean Lacaba. The MILF noted it had offered to help work for the release of the three, but the government immediately rejected the offer. - GMANews.TV